ThePunisher
New member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2005
- Messages
- 24
SO I finally loaded my sled into the back of my truck...
I decided to have a look at the suspension...
UGH! The right side of my W-arm is Le Smashed =P Cracked and broekn, mount bolt is ****ered...
What are my options?
New W-arm? or should I just weld up my stocker with some plates?
I should stop jumping my sled...But c'mon? when you show up guys running new pro-X's on a 9 year old sled...you have to admit it is fun...
any cheap alternatives?
I am very mechanically inclined. Can I take out te W-arm without taking out the whole suspension? or do I have to drop the skid?
Are there aftermarket "heavy duty" Versions? Or should I just go ahead and machine my own?
TIA
Jimmy
I decided to have a look at the suspension...
UGH! The right side of my W-arm is Le Smashed =P Cracked and broekn, mount bolt is ****ered...
What are my options?
New W-arm? or should I just weld up my stocker with some plates?
I should stop jumping my sled...But c'mon? when you show up guys running new pro-X's on a 9 year old sled...you have to admit it is fun...
any cheap alternatives?
I am very mechanically inclined. Can I take out te W-arm without taking out the whole suspension? or do I have to drop the skid?
Are there aftermarket "heavy duty" Versions? Or should I just go ahead and machine my own?
TIA
Jimmy
If it isn't out of alignment from being bent, weld up some gussets, bend some 1/8" steel plate at 90 degrees and fab in where the cracks are....did mine two years ago and still holding....I would take the complete skid out and check it all over, replace worn bushing ect.......CP
if your going to do it do it right.
the newest and best looking way that i do them is to drill out the lower end, cut out the corners so you can slide a piece of solid stock up inside. i then spot weld it in through holes that are drilled up the arm. make sure the arm is on plain before you weld it(twist). after you weld the bar inside, reweld all of the factory welds.
this is only needed for the inner arms as this is where the largest strain is from bottoming and from the limiters. all cracks i have seen start on the inner arms.
in the past i have done some with flat bars welded on the outside with spot welds. these lasted fine but the inners still broke the inner welds.
you could do both if your really worried.
the lower mount you want to drill it out and buy the long bolt and nut that the rx-1 has in their skid. these dont have the problem with loosening one one side. the bolt goes clear through.
also on the lower mount, make sure and reweld the ears that help locate and keep it from twisting. ive built a few that i welded an extra ear facing forward for more suport. this is a weak point as this is one of two points on the skid that keeps the rails from diomonding when one rail is hit and not the other.
the other thing that will cause all this to screw up is the warm bushings and shock bushings being wore out.
the shock needs to have either bearings or reg rubber bushings installed that are tight.
i used to use bearings but have been using the upper shock bushings from rx1 shocks. they are a few bucks, you will need to take them down a bit on the belt sander to get them in. they are alot cheaper than the bearings(35 to do one shock)
shim tight the new bushings in your w arm and install grease fittings in the lower mounts.
what happens when the shock and or w arm bushings are wore out is that the w arm bends around the bumper before the shock bumper brings up to take the load.
the skid was designed to have the w arm bumpers and shock bottom out at the same time to share the load. the other thing that happens is when things are loose, things vibrate, and pound, and beat cracked or loose parts to even worse condition. the other thing that happens is your sled doesnt handle good. the w arm is the only thing with strenth that keeps your rails parallel with the frame of the sled. also the shock with loose bushings is like having a shock with no valving for 1-2in of travel.
obviously this is not good.
tight bushings=better ride, better handling, longer life, bigger smile
the newest and best looking way that i do them is to drill out the lower end, cut out the corners so you can slide a piece of solid stock up inside. i then spot weld it in through holes that are drilled up the arm. make sure the arm is on plain before you weld it(twist). after you weld the bar inside, reweld all of the factory welds.
this is only needed for the inner arms as this is where the largest strain is from bottoming and from the limiters. all cracks i have seen start on the inner arms.
in the past i have done some with flat bars welded on the outside with spot welds. these lasted fine but the inners still broke the inner welds.
you could do both if your really worried.
the lower mount you want to drill it out and buy the long bolt and nut that the rx-1 has in their skid. these dont have the problem with loosening one one side. the bolt goes clear through.
also on the lower mount, make sure and reweld the ears that help locate and keep it from twisting. ive built a few that i welded an extra ear facing forward for more suport. this is a weak point as this is one of two points on the skid that keeps the rails from diomonding when one rail is hit and not the other.
the other thing that will cause all this to screw up is the warm bushings and shock bushings being wore out.
the shock needs to have either bearings or reg rubber bushings installed that are tight.
i used to use bearings but have been using the upper shock bushings from rx1 shocks. they are a few bucks, you will need to take them down a bit on the belt sander to get them in. they are alot cheaper than the bearings(35 to do one shock)
shim tight the new bushings in your w arm and install grease fittings in the lower mounts.
what happens when the shock and or w arm bushings are wore out is that the w arm bends around the bumper before the shock bumper brings up to take the load.
the skid was designed to have the w arm bumpers and shock bottom out at the same time to share the load. the other thing that happens is when things are loose, things vibrate, and pound, and beat cracked or loose parts to even worse condition. the other thing that happens is your sled doesnt handle good. the w arm is the only thing with strenth that keeps your rails parallel with the frame of the sled. also the shock with loose bushings is like having a shock with no valving for 1-2in of travel.
obviously this is not good.
tight bushings=better ride, better handling, longer life, bigger smile
daman
New member
BETHEVIPER said:
thought about that but it's pretty tight in there how'd you do it?? Pics??
01sxr700
VIP Member
To grease the bushing all u need 2 do is drill a small hole in the center between the bushings and use a needle greaser. I have done this to all the bushings on my sled front and back. Works great.